Current Affairs Today – July 29 2015

Dear Readers, We cover some important news in Current Affairs Today Section, which are not covered in Daily Detailed News, More Current Affairs coverage will help you to Score Good Marks in Competitive Exam.

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Indian Affairs 

• E-tourist visa to Chinese nationals from July 30

Defexpo 2016 moves to Goa from Delhi

• The defence ministry has confirmed that the Defence Trade Show, Defexpo India, which was used to be scheduled in Delhi will now onwards be held in Goa.
• Defexpo India, which was last held in 2014 at the Pragati Maidan trade fair ground in Delhi, is organised by the defence ministry every alternate year, on even years. On odd years, the ministry organises the Aero India Show in Bengaluru. There is no plan to shift future Aero India shows to Goa.
• The 9 th Land, Naval & Internal Homeland Security Systems Exhibition – 2016, which is the full name of Defexpo India 2016, will be conducted from February 17-20 in Goa.
• Defexpo is India’s premier land and naval systems show. It is expected to attract more than 400 defence companies, including practically every major vendor. India remains the world’s biggest importer of defence equipment and Defexpo 2016 will provide another opportunity for vendors to showcase their equipment for decision-makers.

Gujarat makes voting compulsory in local body polls.

• Gujarat became the first state to have a provision for compulsory voting with the state government on Monday putting out a notification in this regard.
• Besides making voting mandatory in the local body polls, the communiqué, dated July 17, announced the reservation of 50 per cent seats for women in municipal corporations, municipalities, and village panchayats.
• With the government notifying the Gujarat Local Authorities Act(Amendment) 2009, a voter in the state would now invite punitive action in case he or she fails to vote in the local body elections without any acceptable reason.

International Affairs

• World’s first diamond exchange at Singapore to go online from September

Kazakhstan became 162th member of WTO

• WTO (World Trade Organization) headquartered at Geneva, Switzerland has added a new member in its list by approving Kazakhstan’s membership after about 2 decades negotiations. And this has made the country the 162nd member of WTO. Kazakhstan is a member of the Russia-led economic blocs.
• The agreement was signed between the WTO Director General Robert Azevedo and Kazakhstan president Nursultan Nazarbayev at Geneva.
• The final accession will be done when the membership agreement will be ratified by Kazakhstan Parliament on 31 October 2015.
• Though Kazakhstan currently trades with 185 countries, the country hopes that joining the WTO will further encourage its foreign investment.
• After the signing ceremony Director-General of the WTO Roberto Azevedo said that he hoped that in December Kazakhstan will take part in the 10th Ministerial Conference in Kenya.

China is now world’s biggest potato consumer, producer

• China has become the world’s largest potato producer, accounting for nearly a quarter of the global production, according to a new report.
• World Potato Congress was held in Beijing’s Yanqing county yesterday. China plants more than 13.59 million acres of potatoes every year, data provided by World Potato Congress showed.

Awards

• Indians Sanjiv Chaturvedi, Anshu Gupta win prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Awards 2015

Appointments

K Vijayraghavan to hold additional charge of Secretary, DSIR

• Renowned scientist K Vijayraghavan as been given additional charge of Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) for three months as the The post has been lying vacant for over one year.
• K Vijayraghavan is presently Secretary, Department of Biotechnology and will hold the additional charge for three months beyond July 31, 2015 or until the appointment of a regular incumbent as per the order issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT)
• The DSIR comes under the Ministry of Science and Technology, is mandated to promote industrial research for indigenous technology promotion, its development, utilisation and transfer.

Acquisitions & Mergers

IndusInd Bank acquires RBS’ bullion financing business for Rs 4,100 crore

• In April this year, IndusInd Bank said it has entered into an agreement with Royal Bank of Scotland to acquire the latter’s diamond and jewellery financing business in the country for an undisclosed sum.
• Finally, the Bank has completed the acquisition of the same for 4,100 crore rupees on 28 July 2015 with the entire business portfolio migrating to the bank.
• According to the agreement RBS’s employees within the diamond and jewellery clients in India would be transferred to IndusInd Bank.
• IndusInd Bank is already into diamond and jewellery financing business and this acquisition is expected to enhance its position in the segment.

Hero MotoCorp to buy assets of bankrupt US firm

• Hero MotoCorp, India’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, will acquire certain tangible and intangible assets of its US-based bankrupt partner Erik Buell Racing (EBR) for $2.8 million (Rs 18 crore).

Banking & Finance 

• CCI imposes Rs. 420 crore fine on Hyundai for anti-competitive practices

European bank signs MoU for India investments

• Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan and European Central Bank president Mario Draghi on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in central banking.
• The memorandum of understanding provides a framework for regular exchange of information, policy dialogue and technical cooperation between the two institutions. Technical cooperation may take the form of joint seminars and workshops in areas of mutual interest in the field of central banking,” RBI said on its website.

Science & Technology 

Microsoft launches Windows 10

• Microsoft will start rolling out its new operating system Windows 10 around the world, including India, with a host of new features as the long-time leader in PC software tries to lure back consumers who gave up on Windows for mobile devices.
• Armed with new innovative features like Cortana, an Xbox app and Microsoft Edge, the long-awaited Windows 10 would be available to computers and tablets in 190 nations.

Obituary

Renowned Sri Lankan historian Santasilan Kadirgamar passes away

• Veteran Sri Lankan historian Santasilan Kadirgamar passed away following a brief illness. Mr. Kadirgamar was born in Chavakachcheri of Jaffna in April 1934
• Santasilan Kadirgamar did his schooling from Jaffna College and pursued higher studies in history at the University of Peradeniya and the International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan.
• As a student Kadirgamar was involved with Left movement of Sri Lanka as a sympathiser of the Lanka Sama Samaj Party.
• In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he was among those who were instrumental in setting up the Movement for Inter-Racial Justice and Equality (MIRJE – Jaffna) and the Jaffna Citizens’ Committee.
• He was author of several books some of his works included “The Tamils of Lanka: Their Struggle for Justice and Equality with Dignity” and “The Left Tradition in Lankan Tamil Politics.
• Mr. Kadirgamar is remembered for his work in 1980 on the history and impact of the short-lived Jaffna Youth Congress, which stood for egalitarian and democratic principles.

Important Days

International Tiger Day – July 29

• International Tiger Day was observed across the world on 29 July 2015. The day is observed every year since 2010 to promote the protection and expansion of the wild tiger habitats and to gain support through awareness for tiger conservation.